Here are some interesting facts about the band.
I hope you like them. In some weeks, I'll put another facts instead of
this one. Then, come back later and know a little bit more about BON
JOVI. If you have any fact(s) and want to
share it(them) with us, please write
me telling the fact(s).
The "Unplugged" Craze!
During the first independent gig in England,
in the '85-'86 season, the band played in the London Dominion. While a,
specially invited, incredibly proud mom and dad Bongiovi were waiting in
the audience, the sound system broke down. Not once, not twice, but four
times! And no matter how hard they tried to fix it, no decibel shower.
At that point Jon grabbed a acoustic guitar and started, under great enthusiasm
of the crowd, a what they called 'camp-fire session'. "A great historical
night" is what Jon says about that these days.
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi's real name is John Frank Bongiovi.
He was born on 2 March 1962 in Sayreville, New Jersey, born as the son
of a hairdresser (!) and a Playboy bunny (!!). Nowadays Jo(h)n is, from
is fashionable boots up to his nicely styled hair, about 1 meter and 78
centimeters tall. The color of his eyes always stayed the same: blue.
Our main character was never afraid to take the
initiative. As a young boy he held a job at the record studio of his cousin
Tony Bongiovi, but in between washing and mopping he had the oppurtunity
to make some recordings. One of those songs, the happy sing-along tune
"Runaway" (with a borrowed intro from Billy Joel -'All for Leyna'
-, that should be mentioned too some time) found it's way to a collection
album filled with local Rock and turned out to be the most requested songs
on the local radio stations in no time.
The above mentioned situation resulted in the
contract offer of the Mercury record company to the curly head entrepreneur.
With a band that he arranged himself, consisting of David Bryan (a highschool
buddy that was born on 7 February 1962 as David Rashbaum), guitarist Richie
Sambora (11 July 1959), bassist Alec John Such (14 November 1956) and drummer
Tico Torres (7 October 1953), they made the debut album "Bon Jovi"
in 1984. A record filled with easy listening powerpop with the emphasis
on easy sing-along choruses, with a nice guitar solo every now and then
("Roulette"). Extra contributions came from star-guitarist Aldo
Nova en the -later to be- Rainbow drummer Chuck Burgi. And in no-time the
band was opening for Kiss in Europe. Four years earlier the same thing
happened to Iron Maiden and we all know how that band did after that. World-fame
couldn't get away from Bon Jovi anymore! Tracklist:'Runaway / Roulette
/ She don't know me / Shot through the heart / Love Lies / Breakout / Burning
for love / Come back / Get Ready'. The first band that Jon was ever part
of had the beautiful name Atlantic City Expressway. Supposedly the 17 year
old singer/gitarist was practically playing in the doorway of the emergency
exit during his debut performance at the loca Stone Pmy Club. This because
he was only 17 at the time while the minumum age was 18 for the club the
A.C.E played at. In case of a police-check Jon would be out the back door
in no-time! In his school school days Jon Bongiovi hang out day and night
with his big buddy, Dave Sabo, a guy with the exact same interests. The
two made an agreement for live: if one of the two would ever reach the
top as a musician, then he'd do everything to get the other one there too.
And they kept their word. Jon reached the top first, but didn't feel to
big to come down again and take his friend by the hand and guide him to
success. Sabo's band was put under the management of the Bon Jovi's and
played together with them on stage. Now, many years later, Dave Sabo's
band turned out to be a world-act too. The name of the band? Skid Row!
The logo on the inner record cover of the debut
album was designed by Jon's four year younger brother Anthony Michael Bongiovi.
We haven't seen that logo again after that.
At one point in time Jon auditioned for the movie
"Footloose". Not him , but the well-known actor Kevin Bacon got
the part. Jon didn't make his movie debut until 1991 in the western 'Young
Guns II'. The performance isn't overly impressive; within several minutes
he gets killed.
Jon's favorite drink is called 'Muff Dive' which
is a mix of Vodka, peach brandy and 'vossebessensap'. <<<*Note
from Erik: this is the first time I don't know the translation for a word
in one of the facts. Vossebessensap is some sort of berry juice. Litteraly
translated it's fox-berry-juicy. I have have never heard of it in Dutch
nor can I think of anything in English that might be it. Last time I checked
berry's don't grow on foxes so that's unliklely to be the translation :-)
*>>>
When Jon started to make milions he made a remarkable
decision: he bought four houses at once! One for himself and his newly
wed wife Dorothea and one for his parents, while brothers Anthony and Mat
both got an apartment. "We are Americans of Italian descent",
Bongiovi said, "so our family ties are very strong. That's why I wanted
to share my success with the ones I care for".
Jon, even more serious: "If there is something
we have in common within the band it's our believe in God. I went to catholic
school myself and that influenced me tremendously. Well, it doesn't hurt
to believe in something."
About a man with the status of Jon Bon Jovi of
course the wildest rumors are going around. When the, used-to-be-long-hair,
singer showed up with a shorter haircut one day, the pulp press (so not
us!) saw a wonderful opportunity to make up a story. They wrote that Jon
burned his hair at a Bruce Springsteen bbq party! "Complete nonsense!"
Jon Said. "I just wanted something different." Those who want
to see Jon Bon Jovi from up close - and who doesn't, girls? should go to
the Piccadilly circus in the center of London. But don't lean on him with
a cigarette becaus he will melt. The artist in the Rock circus are made
out of wax.
Jon is not only active as singer, guitar player,
model and actor he also seems do be doing well being a producer. When Bon
Jovi quit playing for a while (after the exhausting New Jersey tour) Jon
lead the recording of 'Blood on the bricks', an album of friend and guitarist
Aldo Nova. On this side of the ocean we mainly know him from his tight
panther suits and the controversial words "Ritchie Blackmore is a
bad guitar player."
Jon Bon Jovi is a good human being. Not all the
songs that he writes he keeps for himself. 'Sometimes it's a bitch' (appropriate?)
went to Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks, while the duo Hall & Oates
were made happy with the song 'So Close'.
Jon purposely didn't work with Richie on 'Stranger
in this town', Richie Sambora's solo record . And that while the other
band members did show up in the studio. Jon: "I purposely didn't work
with Richie, because it would wind up sounding like a Bon Jovi record anyhow,
this time with Richie's voice. I felt it had to be his record. He also
needed to feel what it is like to work on a record alone. And because of
it, he's a lot more self-confident now."
Bon Jovi likes being in Holland. Jon tells us
why. "In Holland at least they treat you like a normal human being.
Of course, as a rockband you sometimes feel the need for screaming fans
outside your hotel door, but it's also nice to just talk to someone. And
in Holland we can do that."
Little joke from Jon. "Still bus loads of
people arrive to my house. I always tell to go a little further down the
road, to Bruce Springsteen, but they keep coming..."
Recently Jon did a photo session for the cover
of a Japanse guitar magazine. "Strange", he thought, "because
I'm certainly not the world's best guitar player. But Tico told me: 'It
doesn't matter that you only know three chords. As longs as you compose
hit singles that sell millions, there is nothing wrong withyou'."
The secret of Bon Jovi's success? Jon: "I
wish I knew, then I would have sold the formula and I wouldn't have to
work as hard anymore. May be it's a matter of keep on going. You either
love us or you don't, but we will keep on going until the people that originally
didn't like us will change their opinion about us."
As a really generous gesture Jon decided to put
the house he grew up in for an MTV competition. "To make one of my
fans happy", was the motivation. He was really angry when he found
out the winner immediately put the house up for sale.
"What's going to be the kids name?"
was the most heard question that Jon had to listen to when his wife was
pregnant. At one point he was so sick of it that he said:"No matter
if it's going to be a boy or a girl, we will call it little Elvis!".
Mid '93 the baby was born and was named Stephanie Rose Bongiovi.
For a while now, Jon has been married to his
highschool sweetheart Dorothea Hurley. The secret to their marriage? Jon
reveals a small part of the secret: "Dorothea is not really bothered
when I go of the sly sometimes, that's just part of the Rock&Roll life."
The guitar player that Jon admires most is...
Richie Sambora. "He's a guitar miracle, Bon Jovi couldn't do without
him. He gets amazing sounds out of his instrument, it almost seems like
he uses twenty fingers.
Jon has a secret passion that he gives in to
almost every day. Sadomasochism? Cocaine? Animal sex? No, the singer/guitarist
loves cartoons! We hear from reliable sources that his favorite paper hero
is Uncle Scrooge. Probably because he can best identigy himself with this
rich duck..
Jon Bon Jovi and the pecunia. "Money is
not important in my life. As a kid I never had money. The first years that
I made music, I didn't make anything either. What kept me going was pride:
I played my own songs. The firsts two records didn't bring in any money
either. That started with the third record. And then all of a sudden I
had so much, that again it wasn't important anymore.
Jon doesn't collect stamps, Jon collects cars.
"I have a Ferrari, a Camero, two Corvettes a couple Jeeps, a Mustang
Shelby and a unique Lincoln Premier from 1957."
"I was never a big heavy metal fan,"
Jon says now. "We got that label because, at one point in time, we
opened for Kiss and the Scorpions. No, we make pop music. Just like Alice
Cooper."
For Jon Bon Jovi Aerosmith, a band that he knows
from the times that he cleaned the studio of his cousin, still stands on
a pedestal. "I would love it if I could be half as long half as cool."
Jon, self-confident: "As soon as I'm afraid
of the bands that open for us I don't deserve to be a star anymore".
Jon, even more self-confident: "There a
lot of panties thrown on stage during our shows. But trust me: panties
are better than bottles!"
"The philosophy of this band," according
to Jon, "has always been: staying down to earth." Which is strange
since Jon made a habit out of it for years to float above the audience
on a cable during concerts.
Jon, down to earth: "I know I will never
be recognized as an important figure in Rock music. I always stayed to
normal for that."
Jon: "I like being in Amsterdam, even though
the hookers are getting uglier."
Sometimes you hear these things that make you
tired, very very tired. Look at Jon Bon Jovi, a relatively good looking
guy. He is jealous of the sexual attraction that his pal Richie Sambora
has. Jon: "Richie's sexlife is on the border of the unreal. He's the
Warren Beaty of Rock. In a next life I want to come back as Richie."
Jon passionately hates the former Go Go's singer
Belinda Carlisle. "That bitch just copied our song 'Livin' on a prayer
and turned it in to a overly sweet, nagging song: 'Heaven is a place on
earth'. When I tried to point that out to her one day, the bitch just laughed
at me".
Jon, reflecting his thoughts: "The moment
you sign a record contract you're in debt. You sign an IOU that takes you
years to pay back."
Richie Sambora
Amazing but true: when he was a kid Richie Sambora
tried to play piano, saxophone and trumpet. Inspired by people like Eric
Clapton, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, he decided to pick up
a guitar when he was fourteen. A good choice!
True words from Richie Sambora: "A professional
musican must be able to listen which many people forget. In a band you
have to able to see that others sometimes also have good ideas. You can't
play well yourself until the others do too so discussing things properly
is absolutely necessary".
Stage animal Richie Sambora: "Life is fun,
a lot of fun if you'd see our bank accounts. But still it's al about one
thing: playing. Of the 24 hours, 22 are in service of the two hours on
the stage. If you have the flu, having a fight with your wife or just so
your dog being run over by a truck: the second you walk forward and the
kids start screaming, you forget everything and you become Superman. No
dope or pussy can compete with that. It's the ultimate thing."
As good Rock&Rollers are supposed to you
will almost always find the Bon Jovi's with dark sunglasses on. Richie
even claims to own between 25 to 30 pairs. We don't know if he was speaking
the truth though. When he told us we couldn't look in the eyes, those were
hidden behind.....yep!.
Again: the secret of Bon Jovi's success? Richie:
"Our power is that we write very visual songs. Who listens to the
compositions, feels part of it. That's David's influence, that's why he's
so good in composing film music.
When Richie Sambora doesn't have a guitar in
his hands, his fingers are on the graceful body of his wife Heather Locklear,
the gorgeous blonde from 'Dynasty' and 'Melrose place'. Sambora took her
over from Motley Crue drummer Tommy 'T-Bone' Lee, who after that played
doctor with Bobbie Brown (the ex of Warrant singer Jani Lane) and even
bigger brested Pamela Anderson. Mrs. Locklear Sambora is now benefitting
from the love lessons that Richie took from (s)expert Cher, not too long
ago.
When Richie passes aways he would like to be
burried with his guitar.
David Bryan
Another shocking thing: David Bryan did so well
in school that he was heading to be a medical student right after getting
his highschool diploma. His folks liked the idea of him becoming a doctor.
His pal Jon convinced him that his parents were wrong and put a keyboard
in David's hands. And David Bryan is a Rock & Roll doctor. A advantage
to that is that you don't have to ask a keyboard everytime: "Does
it hurt when I press here".
"I never would want to live in a city like
Los Angeles", David Bryan admits. "It like you're constantly
touring over there.You can never be yourself, you always have to play the
famous rockstar. In New Jersey the people are much more down to earth."
Unfortunately for the keyboard player that a Bon Jovi member is hardly
home....
"Thank god we're not ugly!" David Bryan
said to the reporter of the American magazine Circus. A remarkable thing
to say, because Bryan certainly isn't the biggest heart breaker of the
band. Before it was even worse; in his early years he wore glasses with
an extremely heave frame that shows resemblance with sleepers.
Tico Torres
Tico 'The Hitman' Torres had second thoughts
in the beginning about forming a band around the young Jon Bon Jovi. "The
guy was only 21 and hadn't really done anything. I had already jammed with
Miles Davis, for example. And I had supported Chuck Berry. Before we started
Bon Jovi I had already worked on 26 records! But the things Jon did on
stage, and especially the response of the girls, pulled me over the line.
That young god that was just waving to the chicks with his but, had something.
I decided to join the band. For two hundred dollars a week".
The moments that Tico Torres leaves his drums
alone, he's with Eva Herzigova, an incredible beautiful model from the
former Czechoslovakia. Eva was the woman that the makers of the so-called
Wonderbra used to promote their product. The wonderbra, the best invention
since the Microwave oven, is a bra for women that gravity had it's play
on. By creating a upward force in the bra.....anyway, let us not forget
this is a music home page!
'Wanted: dead or alive' is Tico Torres's favorite
Bon Jovi song. "That song perfectly describes the true story to the
band. I can't listen to the songs of the early days any more though, I
guess that's something that every Musician has though."
Not only as a drummer Tico Torres flies high.
He also has an official Pilot's licence.